EU sales law is a recipe for confusion

Legislation to create a so-called single European Sales Law is a recipe for confusion and uncertainty, a Conservative MEP has cautioned.

Sajjad Karim, Conservative spokesman on legal affairs in the European Parliament, spoke out as the proposed new sales regime was approved in committee.

The scheme will now be passed from Legal Affairs Committee to the full parliament with a recommendation for acceptance, but Mr Karim - as Conservative negotiator on the report - vowed to continue his opposition.

He said: "This new set-up would allow people or businesses to choose a wholly separate European Union legal regime to apply to cross-border contracts. Or they could choose not to.

"This is being sold to us a simplification when in fact it could be thoroughly confusing, creating doubt and uncertainty.

"It could also prove extremely costly to businesses which might need to meet an entirely new set of compliance criteria, or indeed a range of them. Consumers, meanwhile, could end up with less protection.

"It is a prime case of one-size-fits-all legislation which ends up benefitting nobody."